Toilet ventilating apparatus



P 1966 R. I. WHEELER 3,273,170

TOILET VENTILATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 20, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l 5 3| Q Tm INVENTOR." ROBERT WHEELER,

ATTORNEX Sept. 20, 1966 R. 1. WHEELER TOILET VENTILATING APPARATUS z Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 20. 1965 INVENTOR. ROBERT I. Mean? Arm/war Patented Sept. 20, 1966 3,273,170 TOEET VENTILATING APPARATUS Robert I. Wheeler, 5626 Imperial Highway, Southgate, Calif. Filed Oct. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 505,586 15 Claims. (Cl. 4-72) This application is a continuation in part of my pending application Serial No. 357,906, filed April 7, 1964, for Toilet Ventilating Apparatus.

This invention relates to toilet ventilating apparatus and has as its general object to provide an improved apparatus for withdrawing odors from a toilet bowl and delivering them to atmosphere external of the room in which the toilet apparatus is situated.

The invention is particularly useful in connection with trailer homes, although it also can be utilized'in other bathroom installations.

In attaining the above indicated general object of the invention, 1 provide a toilet bowl and ventilating apparatus in an installation having the following improved characteristics:

(1) Embodiment of ventilating ducts integrally in a toilet bowl;

(2) Lack of visibility of the ventilating apparatus within the bathroom or other containing enclosure;

(3) Ease of installation of the apparatus upon the floor of a trailer or other building having an under-floor area communicating directly with external atmosphere;

(4) Permanency of installation and operation;

(5) Accessibility of air-circulating blower and its motor for servicing;

(6) Protection of blower from moisture (eg from drawing water from the toilet in the event of stoppage of any of the water passages thereof);

(7) Protection of blower from atmospheric dust.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the ensuing specification and appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cut-away perspective view of a toilet bowl installation embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a detail vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same taken on the line 2-2 of BIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail horizontal section-a1 view of the same taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a detail vertical longitudinal sectional view of a preferred form of the suction throat.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a toilet installation embodying a modified form of the invention, with portions broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the same, with portions broken away and shown in section as indicated by line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the same with portion of the suction chamber cover broken away;

FIG. 9 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional View of the suction chamber cover; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary elevational view looking rearwardly into the suction mouth at the toilet rim of FIGS. 5-10.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and in particular to FIG. 1, I have shown therein, as an example of one form in which the invention may be embodied, a toilet and ventilating apparatus installed in a trailer home which is indicated general-1y at A and comprising, in general, a toilet bowl B having a conventional seat C and a flush water tank D coupled thereto; and a ventilating apparatus including a housed blower unit E.

The bowl B is mounted upon the floor 10 of trailer home A with its tank D adjacent a vertical wall panel 11 defining one side of a bathroom. The blower unit E is mounted to the underside of floor 10, directly below the forward portion of bowl B, and communicates therewith through a port 12 cut in the floor 10.

Bowl B may embody a conventional flushing rim 13, bowl body 14, rearwardly projecting tail portion 15 embodying a flushing throat of conventional form (and therefore not illustrated) coupled to the outlet of tank D; siphon trap 16 for delivery of the outflow of water and waste material from the bowl; and base 17 suitable for attachment to the floor 10 by use of conventional mounting bolts 18. The bowl B varies from conventional construction in that its lower forward portion comprises an integral skirt 19 which defines three sides of a suction chamber 20 the back side of which is defined by a vertical wall 21 extending downwardly from the bottom of the bowl body 14. Wall 21 is the forward wall of an integral pedestal portion 24 of the bowl, including the siphon trap 16 as a rearward portion thereof. Skirt 19 and rear wall 21 have lower margins disposed in a common plane with the under surface of base '17, so that the suction chamber 20 may be sealed to the floor 10 by a gasket 22 having a rearward portion underlying the base 17 and a forward portion of loop form interposed between the lower margins of skirt 19 and wall 21 and the surface of floor 10.

The bowl B is further modified from conventional form in that it is provided with one or two integral ventilation ducts 23 extending downwardly and forwardly from tail member 15 along the joints between the sides of the bowl body 14 and the rear central pedestal portion 24 of the bowl which extends along its major (fore-aft) axis. Each of the ventilating ducts 23 terminates in an outlet 25 in the rear wall 21 of suction chamber 20, whereby suction developed in the chamber '20 will produce a ventilating flow of air and gases downwardly and forwardly through the ducts 23.

Also embodied in the integral construction of bowl B is a suction mouth 30 defined between the flat upper wall 31 of the rear portion of flushing rim 1'3 and an overlying flat lip 32 disposed in spaced parallel relation thereto. At its rear extremity, suction mouth 30 communicates with an upwardly arched trap throat 3-3 defined between an upwardly offset, tranversely extending elongated hood 34 (formed as an integral continuation of lip 32) and an upturned baffle 35 extending transversely along the rear margin of the upper wall portion 31. The rear wall of hood 34 extends downwardly at 36 and integrally joins the upper surface of rearward-1y projecting tail member 1 5. Throat 33 has a downwardly extending rearward portion 37 which, extending the full transverse length of hood 34, communicates at its respective ends with the ventilation ducts 23 at their upper reaward extremities, where they begin.

The lateral extremities of lip 32 are integrally joined to the upper surface of the top rearward portion 31 of bowl rim 13 by side webs 38 (FIGS. 1 and 3) which close the sides of suction mouth 60. The webs 38 extend rearwardly to the rear wall 36 of hood 34, thus closing the lateral extremities of trap throat 38. The webs 38, at the upper surface of lip 32, provide solid support for the hinge fittings of toilet seat C.

The trap throat 33 protects the blower unit E against the possibility of water being drawn downwardly through ducts 23 into the blower unit in the event the bowl B should overflow. Baffle 35 projects above the level of the upper surface of rim 13, and thus any overflow will be relieved over the rim 13 and cannot pass the baffle 35.

Toilet seat C comprises the conventional seat ring 40 carried by arms 41 of convential hinges embodying fittings a 42 and having integral threaded studs 43. The webs 38 are provided with respective vertical passages 44 through which the studs 43 are extended. Nuts 45, threaded on the lower ends of studs 43 are tightened upwardly against the under surface of the rear portion of rim 13, serve to clamp the fittings 42 tightly against the upper surface of lip 32 above webs 38, thereby securely anchoring the seat ring 40 to the bowl B. The suction throat 30 is thus embraced between the seat anchor studs 43 without interference.

The upper surface of suction mouth lip 32 is disposed substantially in a common plane with the under face of seat C when the latter is in the operative position shown, supported upon the horizontal upper surface of rim 13 by means of conventional buttons of cushioning material attached to its underface. Thus the height to which the lip 32 projects above the plane of the top surface of rim 13 corresponds to the spacing between the planes of said rim top surface and the underface of the seat C in its operative position; and the rearward portion of seat C projects over the lip 32 as best shown in FIG. 2 and is substantially closed against the upper surface of lip 32 so as to increase the concentration of suction applied by the suction mouth 30 to the bowl chamber in the rearward area thereof.

Suction unit E comprises a rectangular box-like housing 50 having a front wall provided with an opening 51, having a corresponding rear wall and side walls and an open top defined within a rim flange 52 by means of which the housing is secured, as by means of bolts 53, to the underside of floor 10, with a gasket 54 interposed between the floor and the rim flange 52 and registering with the latter throughout its rectangular periphery. The open upper side of the housing communicates with the port 12 in the floor 10, whereby air and gases withdrawn from the bowl B can be drawn downwardly into the housing.

Ventilation flow of the air and gases is provided for by a conventional Sirocco-type blower 56 having in one side an inlet 57 communicating with the space within the housing 50 and having a tangentially protecting discharge nozzle 58 connected to the front wall of housing 50 and communicating with the outlet opening 51. A suitable grill or screen 59 is preferably secured to the front wall of the housing 50 across the discharge opening 51 to prevent the entry of foreign objects such as leaves, rodents, large insects etc.

Blower 56 is driven by a suitable sealed-bearing electric motor supplied with current through a conductor cable 60 extending from a wall switch 61 conveniently located near the tank D, so that a person seated upon the toilet can reach it and actuate the blower 56 as desired. Cable 60 may extend through an opening 62 in floor just behind the wall 11.

In the operation of the apparatus, when the blower 56 is turned on it will pump the air from the housing B through the discharge opening 51 into atmosphere beneath the floor 10. In response to the evacuation of housing E, air commingled with gases from .bowl B will be drawn fr-om beneath the rear end of seat C into the suction mouth 30, thence through the trap throat 33, thence downwardly through the ventilation ducts 23, thence into the suction chamber 20 within skirt 18, thence downwardly through the port 12 into the housing 50.

FIG. 4 discloses a modified form of the suction mouth construction, wherein the lip 32 of the suction mouth 30' has a downwardly and forwardly curved guard portion 39 which minimizes the possibility of urine being directed in to the suction mouth, and which also further concentrates the application of suchtion within the bowl chamber and improves the efficiency of the operation of removing odors from the bowl. FIG. 4 also discloses a further modification of the invention wherein the suction mouth 30' is sufl iciently narrow to be embraced between the hinge fittings 42 and wherein the latter are mounted directly to the top wall of the bowl 31 constituting a rearward coninuation of the upper face of the flushing rim.

FIGS. 5-10 disclose an improved, preferred form of the invention which avoids the necessity for installing the blower and its housing beneath the floor. The blower 56 is installed in the suction chamber 20 with its inlet 57 facing toward the outlet 25 of ventilation duct 23 and its discharge nozzle 58 projecting downwardly and connected to a flexible discharge hose 68 which extends downwardly through a sealed opening 69 in the bottom wall 70 and thence through the bathroom fioor. Blower motor 74, on the opposite side of the blower from inlet 57, is mounted on the bottom wall 70 by a bracket 75. A 24 volt motor, powered by the output of a step-down transformer 76, is utilized. Transformer 76 is mounted beneath the floor 10, and its output cable may extend to motor 56 through the same opening in the floor that provides for passage of flexible hose 68. Transformer 76 is fed from an input cable coming from a junction box 77 which is connected to a conventional 115 volt service line by a control switch 61 and a connecting service cord 60. Switch .61, with an indicator light 72 to show when the blower is operating, may be mounted in a side wall of the bathroom.

For convenient servicing access to the blower, the front of suction chamber skirt 19 is provided with an access opening 80 closed by a cover 81 of resilient sheet material adapted to shap into closed position with its upper edge engaged beneath a head 82 overhanging the top of opening 80. Cover 81 has a toe 83 along its lower margin abutted against the lower margin of opening 80, and a downwardly projecting lip 84 along its lower margin overlapping the adjoining margin of skirt 19, and forming a portion of the marginal area of cover 81 which overlaps the front face of skirt 19 which defines the margin of opening 80. A gasket 85 (FIGS. 9, 10) completely encircling opening 80, is interposed between the marginal area of skirt 19 and overlapping marginal area of cover 81 to seal the cover to the skirt. Spring latches 86 on the back of the cover 81 between its upper and lower margins engage the side margins of opening 80 to hold the cover securely in place.

Bead 82 is slightly arched on its upper side as shown, so as to drain to .the sides any moisture that may flow down the front face of skirt 19 from bowl body 14. In FIG. 8 most of the cover 81 is broken away to disclose the blower 56 .and motor 74 through the opening 80. The FIG. 9 view is sectioned to show the rear vertical wall 21 of the chamber 20, and the ventilation duct outlet 25.

FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 disclose how a single ventilation duct 23 and its throat 137 which communicates with the upper throat portion 33, may be cast integrally with but separate from the flushing duct 90 which extends forwardly from the conventional water inlet 91 that is connected by a spud (not shown) in a well known manner, to the common flush valve outlet in the bottom of tank D. The descending portion 137 of the suction throat, and the duct 23, are located at one side of the pedestal portion 24 of the bowl, and the flushing duct 90 is located centrally, above the pedestal and below the upper portion 33 of the suction duct, which extends the full width of the pedestal portion. The duct 90 (FIG. 7) extends forwardly to the flushing rim 13 beneath the upper suction throat portion 33, being isolated therefrom by the bottom wall 92 of the suction mouth, indicated at 130, and communicates with the interior of flushing rim 13 at 93. The bottom wall 92 of the suction mouth is inclined downwardly toward the bowl 14, there by providing an improvement in the suction mouth, in that the mouth is flared, being of increasingly greater depth toward the bowl chamber so as to provide access for cleaning, and also to increase the efficiency. of air withdrawal. The rim 13 is correspondingly modified in the back area thereof, being somewhat depressed by the forward, downward slope of the bottom wall 92, which constitutes the top wall of the flushing rim duct in that area. The lip 132 which covers the suction mouth 130 is of inverted channel form (FIG. 11) having thin side Webs 138 extending downwardly between the bolt holes 44 to join the tail portion 15 at the top level of rim 13, thus making it possible to retain conventional construction in the cover-mounting brackets 42 and the portions of tail 15 in which they are mounted.

In other respects the structure of the bowl B may be conventional, the siphon trap 16 being located beneath the flushing duct 90, and a flushing jet passage 95 being provided above and forwardly of trap 16 and communicating with flushing duct 90 at its upper end, for discharging a jet into the mouth 96 of the trap 16 and thence into the bowl chamber.

I claim.

1. In combination: a toilet bowl comprising a bowl body; a base beneath the rearward portion of said body and integral therewith; an integral skirt beneath the forward portion of said body, defining a suction chamber beneath said bowl and having a bottom adapted to be mounted to a floor for supporting said base and skirt; a ventilating duct extending forwardly along the side of said bowl and communicating with said suction chamber at its forward end; a suction mouth integral with the rearward portion of said bowl and providing communication between the rearward end of said ventilating duct and a rearward area within said bowl for withdrawing odorous vapors therefrom; whereby suction applied to said chamber will be effective to develop a ventilating fiow of air laden with said vapors, from within said bowl into said suction chamber for discharge through said port.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said bowl includes an integral pedestal portion joining its rearward central portion to said base along its major axis, and wherein said ventilating duct extends downwardly and forwardly along the joint between the side of the bowl and said pedestal portion and is integral therewith.

3. The combination defined in claim 2, wherein said bowl includes a rim disposed in a horizontal plane and a flat horizontal lip integral with the rearward portion of said rim and spaced thereabove to define said suction mouth in the form of a shallow fiat horizontal space immediately above the plane of said rim.

4. The combination defined in claim 3, further including a toilet seat having a rearward extremity extending over and in close proximity to the upper surface of said lip.

5. The combination defined in claim 4, wherein said suction month has a bottom wall inclined forwardly and downwardly into the bowl, and is thereby of forwardly flaring form for increased efiectiveness of odor withdrawal.

6. In combination: a toilet bowl supporting floor having a ventilation port therein; a toilet bowl comprising a bowl body, a base beneath the rearward portion of said body and integral therewith; a skirt beneath the forward portion of said body, said skirt being integrally joined to the underside of'said body and to the forward extremity of said base and having a lower margin positioned to be sealed to said floor with said base supported on said floor and with said skirt and cooperatively defining a suction chamber communicating with said port; a ventilating duct integral with said bowl body and extending forwardly along the side thereof and communicating with said suction chamber at its forward end; a suction mouth providing communication between the rearward end of said ventilating duct and a rearward area within said bowl for withdrawing odorous vapors therefrom; and suction means beneath said floor and communicating with said port for applying suction to said suction chamber so as to develop a ventilating flow of air laden with said vapors, from within said bowl into said suction chamberand through said port for discharge beneath said floor.

7. The combination defined in claim 6, wherein said suction means comprises a housing having an open side attached to the underside of said floor and having a discharge opening in another side thereof; and a suction blower mounted within said housing, having an inlet communicating with said discharge opening.

8. In combination: a toilet bowl supporting floor having a ventilating port therein; a toilet bowl comprising a bowl body, a pedestal integral with the rearward central portion of said body, extending downwardly therefrom and terminating in a base attached to said floor; a skirt integral with and extending downwardly from the forward portion of said body, having side walls integrally joined to the forward extremity of said pedestal and having a lower margin disposed substantially in a common plane with the lower surface of said base and sealed to said floor to define a suction chamber communicating with said ventilating port, a ventilating duct integral with the joint between a side of said bowl and the adjacent side of said pedestal, said duct extending downwardly and forwardly along said joint from the upper rearward extremity of said bowl to the forward extremity of said pedestal and there terminating in a discharge opening communicating with said suction chamber, a rim on said bowl having an upper face disposed in a horizontal plane and providing a support for a seat having an under face disposed in a horizontal plane above and adjacet to said upper rim face when thus supported, and means integral with the rearward portion of said bowl and projecting upwardly from said upper rim surface to a height just below said plane of the under face of said seat and defining a suction mouth extending beneath the rearward extremity of said seat and communicating with the rearward extremity of said ventilating duct and with a rearward area within said bowl for withdrawing odorous vapors therefrom; and suction means beneath said floor and communicating with said ventilating port for applying suction to said suction chamber so as to develop a ventilating flow of air laden with said vapors from within said bowl into said suction chamber and thence through said port for discharge beneath said floor.

9. In combination: a toilet bowl comprising a bowl body having a rim with a horizontal top surface providing a seat support; a seat attached to said bowl and adapted to be supported upon said rim top surface with the lower face of said seat spaced above and adjacent to said rim top surface; said bowl further including a low flat suction mouth integral with its rearward portion and disposed in a horizontal plane between said rim top surface and said seat underface, the rearward portion of seat overlapping said suction mouth, and a ventilating duct integral with said bowl, communicating at one end with said suction mouth and having an opposite and arranged for communication with suction means for developing a ventilating flow of air laden with noxious vapors from within said bowl, for discharge away from said bowl, and an integral pedestal extending downwardly from its rearward central Portion and terminating in a base for mounting said bowl upon a floor surface, said duct extending downwardly and forwardly along and integral with the joint between the side of said bowl body and the side of said pedestal for communication with said suction means for conveying said vapor-laden air through the floor surface for external discharge.

10. The combination defined in claim 9, including means beneath the forward portion of said bowl body and extending to the plane of the bottom of said base, for communication with said floor surface, defining a passage for conveying said vapor-laden air to said floor surface for discharge therethrough.

11. In combination: a toilet bowl comprising a bowl body; a base beneath the rearward portion of said body and integral therewith; an integral skirt beneath the forward portion of said body, defining a suction chamber beneath said bowl and having a bottom Wall adapted to be sealed to a floor supporting said base and skirt, said bottom wall having an opening for registration with an opening provided in said floor; a ventilating duct extending forwardly along the side of said bowl and communicating with said suction chamber at its forward end; a suction mouth integral with the rearward portion of said bowl and providing communication between the rearward end of said ventilating duct and a rearward area within said bowl for withdrawing odorous vapors therefrom; and a blower mounted within said suction chamber, said blower having a downwardly projecting outlet communicating with said bottom wall opening and having an inlet communicating with said chamber whereby said blower is efiective to develop a ventilating flow of air laden with said vapors, from within said bowl into said suction chamber for discharge through said openings.

12. The combination defined in claim 11, wherein said suction mouth includes a lip of inverted channel form integrally joined to and rising above the upper face of said bowl, and an elongated hood extending transversely across the rear end of said skirt and beyond the sides thereof and defining a suction throat communicating with said suction mouth, said ventilating duct communicating with an end of said suction throat projecting beyond one side of said lip.

13. The combinaiton defined in claim 12, wherein said hood projects upwardly above the level of said lip and including a barrier wall integral with the bottom of said suction mouth and extending upwardly into said hood to a level above the rim of said bowl, whereby to prevent entry of water into said ventilating duct in the event said bowl overflows said rim.

14. The combination defined in claim 13, including a flushing duct extending forwardly immediately beneath said suction mouth bottom, said bowl rim having a flushing passage communicating directly with the forward end of said flushing duct.

15. The combination defined in claim 11, wherein said skirt has an access door in its front wall, and including a cover detachably mounted in said front wall and normally closing said door.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,955,579 4/1934 Malaussene 4-213 1,972,774 9/1934 Hartwell 4213 2,058,436 10/1936 Friel 4213 2,299,273 10/1942 Hazzard 42l3 2,526,952 10/1950 Kraus 4-213 2,727,249 12/ 1955 Kochert 4-2l3 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION: A TOILET BOWL COMPRISING A BOWL BODY; A BASE BENEATH THE REARWARD PORTION OF SAID BODY AND INTEGRAL THEREWITH; AN INTEGRAL SKIRT BENEATH THE FORWARD PORTION OF SAID BODY, DEFINING A SUCTION CHAMBER BENEATH SAID BOWL AND HAVING A BOTTOM ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED TO A FLOOR FOR SUPPORTING SAID BASE AND SKIRT; A VENTILATING DUCT EXTENDING FORWARDLY ALONG THE SIDE OF SAID BOWL AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SUCTION CHAMBER AT ITS FORWARD END; A SUCTION MOUTH INTEGRAL WITH THE REARWARD PORTION OF SAID BOWL AND PROVIDING COMMUNI- 